These are questions people ask me quite often. Hopefully now that they're
answered here that won't be the case. :^)
-----
Q: After installation, my ethernet, CDROM drive, and/or other hardware that I
thought Linux supported doesn't work. Why?
A: Probably because the kernel you're running doesn't contain the support.
To fix the problem, you'll have to install a kernel that does. There might
a suitable kernel in the /kernels directory on the CDROM, or you can compile
a custom kernel for your machine. This isn't too difficult -- see the
instructions below about compiling a new kernel.
You can also try loading the device driver in the form of a kernel module.
There are drivers for nearly all the hardware supported by Linux in the
/modules directory on the CDROM, or in your /lib/modules directory if you've
installed the modules.tgz package. Take a look at your /etc/rc.d/rc.modules
file for examples of how to load these.
-----
Q: Is it possible to install this operating system without a floppy drive?
A: Yes! And it's not much harder, either.
First, you'll need a DOS partition. Install Loadlin in a directory such
as C:\LOADLIN (the Loadlin package is available as a ZIP file in the kernels/
directory). Once you have Loadlin installed, you'll need to copy a Linux
kernel and a Slackware rootdisk image into the C:\LOADLIN directory. We'll
describe this process next:
You can find many kernels in the kernels/ directory on the CD. The
subdirectories have the same names as the Slackware bootdisks, and contain
the kernel used to make that bootdisk. You might want to refer to the README
files in a bootdisks directory (such as bootdsks.144/) to decide which kernel
will work best for your system. Once you've picked a kernel (zImage or
bzImage), copy it into the C:\LOADLIN directory. Next, select a rootdisk image
from the rootdsks/ directory, such as the color rootdisk image (color.gz).
Copy the file into your Loadlin directory.
Now, to start the installation process you'll need to boot DOS. If you run
Windows95, restarting the computer in MS-DOS mode is an option on the Start
button menu. (NOTE: If you miss the good-old-days when you got DOS
automatically when you booted your computer and had to type "win" to actually
start Windows, it's easy to fix Windows95 to work that way again. Edit the
file C:\MSDOS.SYS and change where it says BootGUI=1 to read BootGUI=0)
Once you have DOS started, change into the Loadlin directory and use a command
like this one to start the installation rootdisk:
loadlin zimage rw root=/dev/ram initrd=color.gz load_ramdisk=1
Usually the installation copies the kernel from the bootdisk, so when you use
this method you'll have to skip that menu, as well as the bootdisk creation
menu. It's also advisable to skip the LILO menu, since the /vmlinuz will
probably not be the one you want. You best bet is to use Loadlin, since it's
gotten you this far. Just edit the LINUX.BAT file to point to your root Linux
partition.
-----
Q: When I installed Slackware, the system could see my CD-ROM just fine. But,
when I try to boot using LILO or the bootdisk the system doesn't find the
CD-ROM drive anymore! How can I fix this?
A: The problem is probably that you used a bootkernel disk with support for your
CD-ROM drive, but didn't install a kernel with support.
If you're ready to try compiling a kernel, you can easily solve this problem
by compiling a custom kernel (see the section about compiling a Linux kernel)
or, you can load the CDROM driver in the form of a kernel module. You can
do this by editing the /etc/rc.d/rc.modules file to load the module for your
CDROM drive the next time you boot.
Here's the section of the file that loads CDROM drive modules:
# These modules add CD-ROM drive support. Most of these drivers will probe
# for the I/O address and IRQ of the drive automatically if the parameters
# to configure them are omitted. Typically the I/O address will be specified
# in hexadecimal, e.g.: cm206=0x300,11
#
#/sbin/modprobe aztcd aztcd=
#/sbin/modprobe cdu31a cdu31a_port= cdu31a_irq=
#/sbin/modprobe cm206 cm206=,
#/sbin/modprobe gscd gscd=
#/sbin/modprobe mcd mcd=,
#/sbin/modprobe mcdx mcdx=,
#/sbin/modprobe optcd optcd=
# Below, this last number is "1" for SoundBlaster Pro, or "0" for a clone.
#/sbin/modprobe sbpcd sbpcd=,1
#/sbin/modprobe sonycd535 sonycd535=
#/sbin/modprobe sjcd sjcd=
To use one of these, edit out the '#' in front of the line for your CDROM
drive. If you know the I/O address and/or IRQ for your board, fill it in on
the line. For example, you might change the sbpcd line to look like this if
you've got a SoundBlaster CDROM at 0x300:
/sbin/modprobe sbpcd sbpcd=0x300,1
If you need to access your CDROM drive so that you can get the modules
package installed, use the same bootkernel disk you installed the system
with to get into your machine. Use a command like this on the LILO prompt,
but replace the root device name with the one you used on your machine:
mount root=/dev/hda1
Once you're logged in, install the modules package:
installpkg /cdrom/slakware/a*/modules.tgz
-----
Q: Why isn't my Sony CDU-31/33a detected by Linux anymore? It used to work!
A: From the source code:
+ * WARNING - All autoprobes have been removed from the driver.
+ * You MUST configure the CDU31A via a LILO config
+ * at boot time or in lilo.conf. I have the
+ * following in my lilo.conf:
+ *
+ * append="cdu31a=0x1f88,0,PAS"
+ *
+ * The first number is the I/O base address of the
+ * card. The second is the interrupt (0 means none).
+ * The third should be "PAS" if on a Pro-Audio
+ * spectrum, or nothing if on something else.
You can also use this option with Loadlin:
C:\LOADLIN\LOADLIN C:\LINUX\VMLINUZ root=/dev/hda1 cdu31a=0x1f88,0,PAS
Or, on the bootkernel LILO: prompt. Examples:
LILO: ramdisk cdu31a=0x1f88,0,PAS
LILO: mount root=/dev/sda1 cdu31a=0x1f88,0,PAS ro
-----
Q: I can't get the kernel to see a CDROM connected to a Soundblaster 16 IDE!
A: First, be sure you're using the proper kernel -- the one needed in this
case is the IDE/ATAPI CDROM type, not the SBPCD type. Then, if you still
have problems, use the secondary IDE channel (IRQ 15 0x170), and make sure
the drive is set as master (jumper in the back) and not as slave (a common
default).
-----
Q: I can't get the disks made by RAWRITE to boot!
A: First, check that you're using the right size image. If you use an image
meant for a 1.44 MB floppy on a 1.2 MB floppy (or vice-versa) you'll likely
see the message "LI" and the boot process will hang.
Another possibility is a BIOS problem -- a user has reported to me that
RAWRITE fails on his machine unless he first does "dir a:" on an MS-DOS
floppy. Apparently this is caused by the BIOS improperly initializing
address 0000:0526 (number of sectors) to 11h instead of 12h. Using "dir"
on the device fixes that value. The affected machine in this case was using
"Mr. BIOS" from Unicore Software.
-----
Q: I was able to install fine, but the installed system won't boot!
A: Slackware uses stripped down kernels to do the actual installation -- in
other words, the kernels don't have any more drivers than needed to control
only the device needed to complete the installation. The kernels that are
installed to the system are more full featured, with more ethernet, mouse,
filesystem, and other drivers. Sometimes this can lead to hangs at boot
time when the kernel misidentifies an piece of hardware that's unusual or
at a non-standard port/IRQ.
When this happens, you need to try a different kernel. First, use the
bootdisk that worked during installation to get your system started. To
do this, boot the disk and enter something like this at the LILO prompt:
mount root=/dev/sda2
(if /dev/sda2 is your root Linux partition, otherwise use the appropriate
device name for your system)
Once you've got the system running, install or compile a different kernel.
Try to include only the device drivers you need for your hardware.
Instructions on compiling the kernel can be found in your kernel source
directory (if you installed the kernel source, that is). The kernel
source is usually found in /usr/src/linux.
Briefly, this is the method for building a new kernel:
cd /usr/src/linux
make config (then answer the questions about what you need)
make dep ; make clean ; make zImage
If the zImage is successfully built, see an answer below which explains
how to install it with LILO or Loadlin, or make a new bootdisk from it.
Once you've done that, you might want to clean up /usr/src/linux by cd'ing
into it and doing another 'make clean'.
Good luck! If you can handle this, you're well on your way to becoming a
Linux guru.
-----
Q: Why do I get "network unreachable" under Slackware?
A: There are a couple of possibilities. For most users, things work right out
of the box. However, if you're running into this problem here are two
workarounds you can try:
1. Reverse the broadcast and netmask arguments (and their variables)
in the call to ifconfig in /etc/rc.d/rc.inet1. Make sure you are
not trying to route your own IP address - you shouldn't have to.
2. Make sure /etc/networks is properly configured.
3. You may want to try the 'netconfig' script.
It's not perfect, but does a pretty good job.
4. Make sure the kernel you're using supports your hardware. Most of the
kernels provided with Slackware include a /boot/config file where you
can look up the compilation options.
-----
Q: Why the $%#@! isn't my UltraStor SCSI detected? It works under DOS!
A: Set the I/O address to 0x340 instead to 0x330.
For any hardware that doesn't work, a good rule is to try playing around
with the IRQ and I/O settings on it to see what happens. If your system
is up and running and you're having problems with a CD-ROM or tape or
something like this, you can always look around for the driver source in
/usr/src/linux/drivers... really, it won't bite! Often, the source
contains important documentation, such as the default IRQ settings for
that type of device, and the major number for the entry in /dev. Also,
try other bootkernels and see if that helps.
-----
Q: If the setup menus for NFS installation don't work, how can I setup the
network manually before starting setup?
A: Once your Linux machine is listed in the hosts /etc/exports (if the whole
network is not already), you might need to do these things before running
setup. This is usually only needed if the NFS server is on a different
subnet than your Linux machine:
# Setup the loopback device:
ifconfig lo 127.0.0.1
route add -net 127.0.0.0
# Setup the network:
ifconfig eth0 1.2.3.4 # 1.2.3.4 is the ip number of my machine.
route add -net 1.2.3.0
route add default gw 1.2.3.1 # in this example, the ip address of our NFS
# server is 1.2.31.4 and belongs to a different
# network.
-----
Q: My IBM Thinkpad won't load the rootdisk into a ramdisk correctly, so I
can't install Linux. What can I do?
A: The disk-changed sensor on some older Thinkpads works a little differently.
This can be worked around -- just specify "floppy=thinkpad" when booting:
boot: ramdisk floppy=thinkpad
... on the bootdisk's LILO prompt.
-----
Q: My large (> 1/2 gig) IDE drive reports more than 16 heads, and as a
result Linux won't install on it. What can I do?
A: See the file /docs/mini/Large-IDE for instructions on how to make it work.
(Thanks to Bob DiMarco for forwarding this to me, and Patrick LoPresti for
compiling the information in the first place)
Note that newer kernels (> 1.1.40) will do this translation for you
automatically, and thus make the workaround unnecessary.
-----
Q: How do I make a Slackware bootdisk with this new kernel I made?
A: OK, well you grab an existing one (preferably one of the larger ones
like "scsinet.s"), put it on a floppy, and do this:
mount /dev/fd0 /mnt (this mounts it)
cat zImage > /mnt/vmlinuz (put the new kernel in place)
rdev -R /mnt/vmlinuz 0 (mount read-write)
rdev /mnt/vmlinuz /dev/fd0u1440 (use that drive, or /dev/fd0h1200)
rdev -r /mnt/vmlinuz 49152 (enable the ramdisk)
lilo -r /mnt (reinstall lilo)
umount /mnt (that's it! you're done! :^)
-----
Q: My backspace is acting strangely under X? How can I fix it?
A: Well, I've never noticed a real problem, but I occasionally hear
about this. You might want to try adding this to your .Xmodmap in
/usr/X11/lib/X11/xinit or $HOME:
keycode 22 = BackSpace
-----
Q: I just built a new kernel. Now how to I go about replacing my existing
kernel with this new zImage file?
A: First, you must prepare the new kernel. If you're using UMSDOS, you'll want
your system to boot read-write. Otherwise, you'll want it to boot read-only
so your filesystems can be safely checked. So, do this:
For UMSDOS:
rdev -R zImage 0
For any other filesystem type:
rdev -R zImage 1
Then, you'll need to set the root partition. For example, if your root
Linux partition is /dev/hda2, you'd do this:
rdev zImage /dev/hda2
Then, you can set a video mode if you like. As an example, this sets normal
80x25 console mode:
rdev -v zImage -1
Other modes include: -3 = Prompt, -2 = Extended VGA. You might need to
remove a line in your /etc/lilo.conf that forces normal video if you use
LILO and wish to try an extended video mode.
Next, you need to install the kernel. If you boot from a floppy disk, you
can simply stick a formatted floppy into your drive and write the zImage
to it like this:
cat zImage > /dev/fd0
If you use lilo, you should copy the zImage to where your lilo.conf expects
it to be and then reinstall lilo. This should work if you used Slackware's
liloconfig script to set up LILO. (this is the script setup uses)
cp zImage /vmlinuz ; lilo
You may wish to back up your existing /vmlinuz first.
If you use Loadlin, copy the kernel to your DOS partition where Loadlin can
see it (if you use UMSDOS, you won't need to do this). Then, start Linux
from DOS like this:
c:\loadlin\loadlin.exe c:\linux\vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2
That should do it.
-----
Q: Why can't I cut and paste from elvis (vi) in an xterm?
A: Later versions of elvis use the mouse for cursor positioning instead. If
you want to cut and paste, hold the left shift key down while you use the
mouse.
-----
Q: Why doesn't my bus mouse work? The kernel, selection, the
X server and test-mouse all say "no such device."
A: The kernels distributed with Slackware don't have the drivers for
busmice compiled in. Last time I tried to include all of them there
were horrible driver conflicts -- better to leave them out if they
can't coexist. Obviously, it's not feasible for me to provide
versions of every precompiled kernel for each type of busmouse. I
only have a 386. ;^)
(I'm only kidding, As of 4/98, I'm running a P233MMX)
The solution is to load support for your mouse from a kernel module.
Edit /etc/rc.d/rc.modules and uncomment the line for your mouse:
# Mouse support:
#/sbin/modprobe atixlmouse
#/sbin/modprobe busmouse
#/sbin/modprobe msbusmouse
#/sbin/modprobe psaux
(To uncomment a line in a shell script, you use an editor to remove the
'#' from the start of the line)
-----
Q: I see my SoundBlaster/Panasonic CD-ROM detected at boot, but I can't
install from it or mount it. What's going on?
A. Try setting to drive's ID to 0. This is expected by the install disks.
There should be a jumper on the back of the drive that selects this --
just move it to the leftmost position.
-----
Q: I'm using UMSDOS and would like to use the same swapspace under Windows
and Linux. Can this be done?
A: If you want to share a Linux-UMSDOS swapfile with MS-Windows, you can
do the following:
1. Create PERMANENT(!) swap file in MS-Windows with size NNNN kbytes.
2. In /etc/rc.d/rc.local add the following lines:
rm -f /DOS/windows/spart.par